Respirator without breathing resistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967207-B2
Application number	US-201615354647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2016
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a respirator without breathing resistance, which has an air inlet duct that passes through an inside and an outside of the respirator and that has asymmetrical electrodes and particle capturing plates formed on an inner surface of the air inlet duct; ozone removing element that removes ozone generated by micro-plasma; and high voltage dc-dc converter that provides high voltage to the asymmetrical electrodes. It employs asymmetrical electrodes and particle capturing plates to filter air without generating breathing resistance. When the respirator according to the present invention is used, safety of a wearer may be maintained in accordance with an environment and breathing may be smoothly performed even while introduction of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, spores, fine dust, or the like included in air may be effectively blocked. Accordingly, the respirator may be widely utilized to maintain the safety of the wearer in various environments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A respirator comprising:
(a) a body;
(b) an unobstructed air inlet duct that is provided at a portion of the body, passes through an inside and an outside of the body;
(c) a pair of asymmetrical electrodes that generates a micro-plasma and a pair of particle capturing plates formed on an inner surface of the air inlet duct;
(d) an ozone removing element, within the air inlet duct downstream of the asymmetrical electrodes and particle capturing plates, that removes ozone generated by the micro-plasma;
(e) a high voltage dc-dc converter within the body to provide high voltage to power the asymmetrical electrodes; and
(f) an air quality feedback element comprising an optical sensor that detects fine particle count and a voltage control module that adjust the high voltage dc-dc converter.

2. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein each asymmetrical electrode comprises a pin electrode and a plate electrode, and generates asymmetrical electric field so that forms a micro-plasma on the pin electrode.

3. The respirator of claim 2 , wherein the pin electrode is formed of stainless steel and the plate electrode is formed of aluminum.

4. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the particle capturing plates form an electric field and is formed of stainless steel or aluminum.

5. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the micro-plasma electrically charges fine particles in the air which pass through the air inlet duct, and the electrically charged fine particles are captured by an electric field generated by the particle capturing plates on the surface of the air inlet duct as the air moves through the air inlet duct.

6. The respirator of claim 5 , wherein the fine particles comprises airborne pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, spores, or fine dust.

7. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the body is for mounting on a face to cover a nose and a mouth.

8. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein no pressure drop is generated as the air passes through and exits the air inlet duct.

9. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the ozone removing element is formed of manganese oxide or manganese dioxide.

10. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the ozone removing element is formed of a surface film, a mesh filter, and a three-dimensional scaffold which does not pose as an obstruction to air flow.

11. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the high voltage DC-DC converter may generate an output high DC voltage of up to 1.5 to 5.0 kilovolts from an input low DC voltage of 5 volts or less to provide the high DC voltage to the asymmetrical electrodes.

12. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the fine particle charging efficiency of the micro-plasma is controlled when the high voltage dc-dc converter is controlled.

13. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises an inlet guard element that prevents contact between the micro-plasma and a user.

14. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein further comprising a power supply element that supplies electric power to the high voltage dc-dc converter.

15. The respirator of claim 14 , wherein the power supply element may be batteries or a mobile device.

16. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the voltage control module adjusts the high voltage dc-dc converter according to the amount of fine particle detected by optical sensor in order to optimize electrical power consumption.

17. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the air quality feedback element displays fine particles concentration and micro-plasma voltage on a mobile device.

18. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the air quality feedback element further comprises a signal transfer element.

19. The respirator of claim 18 , wherein the signal transfer element is a warning alarm to alert the wearer or an LED indicator light.

20. The respirator of claim 18 , wherein the air quality feedback element activates a signal transfer element upon detecting a hazardous level of fine particles.

Assignees

• Ewha University—Industry Collaboration Found
• Univ Korea Res & Bus Found

Inventors

• Son Ah Jeong
• Chua Beelee
• Park Mi Ri
• Lee Min Kyoung

Classifications

• B01D53/8675

  Ozone · CPC title

• B01D2257/106

  Ozone · CPC title

• B01D53/32

  by electrical effects other than those provided for in group B01D61/00 · CPC title

• B03C3/155

  Filtration · CPC title

• B01D2259/4541

  for portable use, e.g. gas masks · CPC title